ON 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TITANIC DISASTERSMITHSONIAN CHANNEL™ REVEALS MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF TRAGEDYTITANIC’S FINAL MYSTERYPREMIERING THURSDAY, APRIL 5 AT 8PM

Two-Hour Special From Bedlam Productions, Team Behind Oscar-Winning Film The King’s Speech, Uncovers Startling New Culprit

New York, NY – March 13, 2012 – The sinking of the RMS Titanic remains one of the most enduring and mysterious tragedies of the 20th century. For decades, investigators and amateurs alike have floated theories for why it occurred and who was to blame for the extraordinary loss of life, but no one answer could fully explain what happened. Until now. To mark the 100thanniversary of the infamous disaster, Smithsonian Channel will premiere TITANIC’S FINAL MYSTERY on Thursday, April 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The two-hour special investigates a century of theories and uncovers astonishing new forensic evidence that proves the most likely theory for the case.

The basic facts are legendary: On April 15, 1912, the largest, most impressive ship of its day struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage, leading to the deaths of over 1,500 passengers. The disaster spawned formal inquiries on both sides of the Atlantic. But in the end, two critical questions remained unanswered: Why did the ship hit the iceberg in the first place? And why did the ship closest to Titanic, the Californian, never come to its rescue?

In TITANIC'S FINAL MYSTERY, author and historian Tim Maltin re-opens the case. Maltin has spent 20 years researching the Titanic tragedy and has uncovered evidence of a rare natural phenomenon that will forever change our understanding of the disaster. Maltin has found proof that both the Titanic and the Californian were deceived by mirages, dooming the passengers to their fate.

TITANIC’S FINAL MYSTERY is directed by Nigel Levy, executive produced by Simon Breen for Bedlam Productions and Stuart Burrage of Airborne TV & Film. David Royle and Charles Poe are Executive Producers for Smithsonian Channel.

ABOUT SMITHSONIAN CHANNELSmithsonian Channel is owned by Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution. Its programs are largely inspired by the assets of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features award-winning original documentaries, series, and groundbreaking programs highlighting America’s historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Smithsonian Channel brings the American experience home in high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available to customers of DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Learn more at www.smithsonianchannel.com.